Any tips for when to use what card for each moment?

[Fufupel]

Just started leveling AST and I just unlocked spread. Currently in my dungeons all I'm doing with my cards is either draw into Arrow/Spear into RR and hoping to draw into a Balance for AoE buff. I spread Ewer most of the time in case I need to go spam heavy on the heals. If I draw into Bole I usually throw on the tank give them a regen and pop clerics for some damage. But when is it a good time to use Spire/Arrow or Spear? Most of the time I use Spear/Arrow for Royal Road and hope to draw into Balance. Any tipes will help.

[Zoralink]

Spear is excellent if you see a SMN about to aetherflow or a BRD about to reload. (You have to be very aware to notice these things) Otherwise it's generally a decent pick for NIN/DRG/your tank. It's terrible for BLM. Arrow is a BLM's best friend as well as balance if they are going into astral fire phase of their rotation. Bole I generally use for royal roading, though if I know a larger pull is coming up I spread it to hold it for later. I generally only bother using bole if I can combine it with an extended royal road. Arrow in general is just a good DPS boost, though avoid using it on a physical DPS if you can. As for spire usage, my general priority goes BRD -> DRK -> NIN -> Everyone else. Many times I eat it for royal road.

Confusing paragraph aside:

Spear: General use - NIN/DRG.

Specific cases - MCH/SMN.

Bosses - Spread on pulls beforehand, then fish for a arrow or spear to get the expanded version. Shortening everyone's cooldowns on pull is nice.

Arrow: BLM/BLM/BLM/BLM/BLM. Otherwise it's decent for any DPS, avoid physical if possible, though it is relatively meh on SMN.

Bole: Situational. Nice if doing large pulls for your tank. Otherwise nom it for royal road.

Balance: Generally okay on any DPS. Sometimes better to just eat it for royal road if near the end of a pull. Can be nice to use similar to spear on boss bull. Good for when a BRD/SMN are refreshing their DoTs.

Ewer and spire: Almost always used for royal road. Occasionally ewer on an aware BLM during their transition into fire phase. Spire is for physical on longer fights.

[quikSylvir]

For Spear, while it is good for everyone's big cooldown reductions, I like to save it for myself and use it before I pop Luminiferous Aether. It brings the CD down to around 84 seconds iirc, nothing super game changing but it's a little bit of stress off the MP regen, for me at least.

What I do with Spire is most of the time Royal Road it, but if I know the TP using dps has trouble with TP management or it would benefit them to not have to do something that sacrifices their dps to regen TP, I will use it on them. (Warriors would probably also love it, I know my warrior friend used to burn through TP in FCoB, not sure how their sustain is now-a-days though).

As for Arrow, you can generally throw it on dps to boost their attack speed, or again if healing is tight, throw it on yourself for slightly quicker heals.

[VitalSuit]

For spear, while it is good for everyone's big cooldown reductions, I like to save it for myself and use it before I pop Luminiferous Aether. It brings the CD down to around 84 seconds iirc, nothing super game changing but it's a little bit of stress off the MP regen, for me at least.

Actually it brings it to 92 seconds. 84 if you have enhanced royal road (RR bole or balance).

[quikSylvir]

Actually it brings it to 92 seconds. 84 if you have enhanced royal road (RR bole or balance).

Ah yes, right you are.

[Nague]

pretty sure arrow is better for dps than balance unless TP problems, so dont throw it away.

[RazeLandale]

Most of the time I use Spear/Arrow for Royal Road and hope to draw into Balance.

Not worth it to eat arrow for royal road, it's a good card and not worth throwing away for a gamble aoe(Which as you note, could as well be aoe ewer or bole). Maybe in a 8 man you could make that gamble, but not 4. The payoff isn't big enough. The ideal situation, aoe balance, is better than using a arrow card then a balance card single target, but not by a large margin.